Four at the Fair
by Shana Hager
Summary: It's that time again...the Smash Fair! And no Smasher enjoys this summer event quite as much as these four! For ProdigyGaming's Summer Vacation Writing Contest.
1. Off to the Fair!

**Off to the Fair!**

Perhaps one of the best highlights of summer is the Smash Fair. It comes around every July and ends in August. The fairgrounds have variable locations. The first Smash Fair, in 1999, had its grounds in Saffron City. Melee's fairgrounds were near Peach's lovely castle. Since 2008, Smashville has served as the fairgrounds, with Villager sparing no expense to put on the best Fair the Smashers have ever experienced.

Four Smashers in particular have been devout attendees of the Fair since the beginning. They are the Formidable Four, the original four secret fighters of the tournament. They have taken steps to set themselves apart from the other fighters, and that's the case when it comes to the Fair. They pick specific days to attend, they travel together, and they carpool rather than take the bus. Sometimes, they bring dates, and other times, it's just the four of them. The sacred way the treat the Fair would remind one of young children. It never lost its spark to them, even after seventeen years.

* * *

The appointed day has arrived. It's a Saturday, warm but not too hot, and all of the best attractions are destined to be open. Just the way the Formidable Four like it.

Luigi, the spine of the fabulous foursome and the younger brother of Nintendo's mascot, is the first one up, grooming himself and pulling on a fresh pair of clothes. Since a few Smashers are still asleep, he tiptoes down the hallway to Ness's room, where he knocks on the door.

"Hey, Ness," he whispers. "Are you up?"

"Uh—yeah, gimme a minute," replies the sleepy voice of the psychic boy from Onett. Seconds later, the door opens, revealing young Ness, sporting pajamas and rumpled raven hair. "What's the big occasion?"

Luigi beams at him. "Today's the day," he simply says.

The fog of drowsiness scatters, and Ness's mouth opens in remembrance. "We're going to the Fair!" he squeals excitedly. "Let me get dressed. I'll meet you downstairs!"

Ness darts to his closet for something to wear while Luigi continues down the hall to the room of a certain racer. To his surprise, said racer is already awake and suiting up in one of his racer outfits.

"Morning, L!" crows Douglas Jay Falcon. "How do I look?" He strikes a pose.

"Good," nods Luigi. "You ready?"

"You bet I am! I wanna bring Sammy along. Is that okay?"

"That's perfectly fine," replies Luigi. "We'll all group downstairs, okay?"

The man in green leaves Douglas to finish getting ready while seeking out the last member of the group.

Jigglypuff, the Balloon-type, is still fast asleep when Luigi arrives at her doorstep. Luckily, her alarm clock chooses that moment to go off.

"Puff?" she yawns.

"Jiggs! Today's the day!" Luigi announces.

"Just a sec," she warbles. Jiggs jumps into a quick shower and then emerges from her room, greeted by her enthusiastic friend. "Hi, L. You ready to go?"

"Yeah, and Ness and the Cap'n are just about ready. We agreed to meet downstairs to get some stuff, and then I'll bring my car around."

"I love it when we take your car!" laughs Jiggs.

Luigi smiles at her and then heads downstairs to start getting ready.

Soon, the other three join him in packing the essential fair survival kit. Extra water. Extra cash. Wet wipes, lots of them. Scissors. First-aid supplies. Barf bags. Valid identification. They make sure that their phones are completely charged and designate emergency contacts. Now, they're ready to go.

Luigi goes outside, warms up his car, and pulls it up to the front of the Smash Mansion. The others are waiting for him, Ness carrying the bag of supplies and Falcon carrying a small cooler. The racer puts the cooler in the front seat with him while Ness takes the bag to the backseat, along with himself and Jiggs.

"Do we have everything?" asks Luigi.

"Yup!" chorus his three friends.

"Okeydokey! Here we go!" sings out Luigi.

And with that, the Formidable Four hit the road for the Smash Fair, singing along to the radio the whole way.

 **Please R &R.**


	2. Gonna Have a Good Time!

**Gonna Have a Good Time**

"Well, Sammy, we just arrived," Falcon is saying over the phone, "so once your matches are done with, do you think you can join us?" He pauses. "Really? Great!" He's grinning ear to ear as he hangs up.

"So?" ask Luigi, Ness and Jiggs.

"She's agreed to meet me later!" reports Falcon.

The other three cheer and pat him on the back.

Parking costs 5G, and admission is 12G for adults, 10G for seniors, 3G for children 3-12 and free for children under 3. Fairgoers can obtain unlimited ride wristbands for 25G on weekends and 30G on weekdays. Luigi foots the bill for fair admission, coughing up 48G total but leaving some extra G in his companions' pockets. He's generous like that.

"We need to designate a meeting spot," says Luigi. "What do you guys think?"

"Yeah, we should," agrees Ness. "How about at the main gate?"

"Sounds perfect," nods Falcon. "What time?"

"It says here that the live concerts start at 8p.m tonight," says Luigi, "and we need time to help ourselves to some fair food. So how about 4p.m?"

"Perfect!" says Jiggs.

"All right! Time to have some fun!" cheers Ness, beginning to skip away.

He's hardly gone a few paces when Luigi takes hold of his hand. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To enjoy myself," says Ness with a roll of his eyes.

"Not by yourself, you're not. You can't wander around without an adult, remember?"

Ness's hands are on his hips. "I'm thirteen!"

"But you're still not old enough to wander around by yourself. You're not getting snatched on _my_ watch."

Ness knows Luigi means business. "Fine," he says.

And thus begins the Formidable Four's date with the Fair.

* * *

Jiggs is the first to spot her ride. A long, wavy slide which can carry four riders at a time. The person at the gate provides her with a special sliding mat, which she tucks under her arms as she puffs her way to the top. Getting into the mat is a bit of a chore, given her round shape. But she's going on that slide, so she manages.

"All set?" asks the friendly ride attendant.

"Puff!" replies Jiggs. "Ready to go!"

The ride attendant gives Jiggs a gentle push forward until she's off the protective carpeting and on the slippery slide.

And then she's flying down the slide fast enough to make her stomach drop, going up and down the waves like a bobsled on a snowy mountainside. "JIGGLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! JIGGLYPUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUFFFFFFF!" she screams the whole way.

She reaches the bottom, where she drags her stubby arms along the carpet to bring herself to a safe halt. She puffs back up, thanks the attendant very much—and promptly puffs back in line for another turn.

And then another and another—and just for the heck of it—eight more times. By the time she decides to do something else, she can still feel the sensation of navigating the waves of that slide. She's a little unsteady as she puffs away in search of another fun ride.

The spinning teacups spot Jiggs' eye. She _loves_ the spinning teacups! She flashes the ride attendant her wristband and climbs aboard a pink teacup, accompanied by a family of four.

"Look!" cries the daughter. "It's Jigglypuff!"

"No way!" crows the son. "She's been my main for _ages_!"

Jiggs blushes. "It's always nice to meet a main," she says. "I love the way they disrespect their foes with Rest."

"Are you kidding? I use Rest whenever I can!" says the son. "Even offstage!"

"Offstage Rest—a classic case of risk and reward," sighs Jiggs. "Sometimes, I get KO'd before my opponents do—and when I'm on my last stock—that just makes me really mad. Don't worry—Sing makes me feel better."

"When this ride is over, can I have you autograph?" questions the daughter.

"May I," corrects the mother.

"May I please have your autograph, Jigglypuff?" asked the daughter.

"Sure," smiles Jiggs, "and thanks for asking nicely."

Seconds later, the ride starts. The five occupants of the teacup grab hold of the wheel and start to spin it, slowly at first, and then gradually increasing their speed. The two children holler their young lungs out, the parents laugh and Jiggs squeals. The Balloon Pokémon gets herself dizzy, but she doesn't care. When the ride finishes, the girl pouts a little, but then Jiggs autographs the back of her shirt and turns that frown upside-down.

"Hey, Jiggs," says the boy. "Sorry you didn't get into that Pokken tournament."

"That's fine," replies Jiggs. "I already exert myself here, anyway. I appreciate the concern, though."

 _It's not very often you meet a main at the Fair_ , thinks Jiggs as she saunters off to find another ride.

"Hey, Jiggs!"

The Balloon-type turns to see a woman manning a game booth. Ring toss.

"Price is only 1G for 5 rings," says the woman, "or you can get a whole bucket for only 3G!"

Dutifully, Jiggs flips 3G to the woman in exchange for her bucket of rings. Her stubby arms skillfully hurl the rings at the sea of cola bottles before her. The closer to the middle, the better the prize. By the time her bucket is spent, Jiggs wins a few soft pillows. Looking at the woman, she sings a beautiful lullaby which puts the employee to sleep. Jiggs places one of the pillows under her head, takes out a familiar-looking black marker and begins to draw…

* * *

A few feet above the fairgrounds, a roller coaster twists and turns its way through a track. And on that roller coaster are Luigi and Ness, screaming and hollering their lungs out as they grip their restraint bars for dear life. Sweat stands out on Luigi's brow as soon as he sees the steep drop. Then, his stomach plunges along with the ride, the ground rushing up to meet them only for them to fly back up slightly at the last moment. The vibrant Fair flashes by them in swirls of color as they hurtle through countless loop-de-loops and corkscrews. Their hands are sweating as they grip their safety harnesses tighter and tighter. The wind grabs at their caps. Luigi's screams stand out over everyone else's, with Ness's coming in second. By the time the ride comes to an end, their legs are shaky and their tummies are churning.

"That—was awesome!" Ness exclaims after a while.

"Let's ride again!" agrees Luigi.

The man in green is braver the second time, arms high in the air and the adrenaline pumping big time as he and Ness shriek against the wind. Tummies seeming to slam to the earth with each loop-de-loop. Their world spiraling around them with each corkscrew and spiral. After each time, they swear it's gonna be the last, but they break that vow in seconds. After the seventh time, Ness staggers over to a trash can and empties the contents of his stomach.

"This is why you don't hop on a roller coaster immediately after you've eaten something," admonishes Luigi.

"Duly noted," groans Ness.

And they're back on the coaster after his stomach settles.

Ness throws up twice more and Luigi five times, but still they come back for more. The thrill is in their blood, childish as it is. The rush you get as the coaster climbs that hill—you never outgrow it. Even if you've saved the world or a Princess.

After the twentieth (or eightieth) time, the duo has finally had enough. They stumble away, willing their equilibrium to steady, in search for a tamer ride. They're still quite whirled from the roller coaster when they witness some fairgoers making a splash on a flume ride.

"Wanna get wet?" asks Luigi.

"Yeah," says Ness.

They get in line and wait it out, hearing the anticipated screams as the boat shoots down into the water below, sending up a glorious plume of water. Other members of the line recognize the two as Smashers and immediately obtain autographs and answers to burning questions. Luigi is as humble as always, while Ness is enthusiastic and must be corrected by the man in green before he gives away too personal stuff. The line seems to move faster after that, and it's not long before their turn comes.

Ness and Luigi quickly secure spots in the front row to guarantee the maximum splash. They hold hands as the boat begins its journey. It's a quick scenic ride before they start their ascent, a painstakingly slow ascent. And then they're looking out over the Fair, out past the other games and attractions and food, the sun high in the sky, smiling at them—before they find themselves looking at the sheer drop.

"Okay," Ness states.

Luigi mutters a prayer as they're suspended in space for a few seconds.

The boat starts down.

Luigi and Ness grab on and scream as much as their lungs can tolerate as they plummet.

KER-SPLAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSHHHHH!

Screaming and laughing mix together as a deluge showers them. Hats, shirts, bottoms, overalls, shoes, hair and skin aren't safe. The cool water drenches them to the bone and provides a relief against the summer heat. Still laughing, they climb out—and promptly get back in line. On the next turn, they're still dripping.

They ride the flume over and over until they get "prune fingers".

Striding through the Fair, letting the sun dry them off, Luigi and Ness now find themselves standing before a tower ride. They decide to wait till they're completely dry before going on the attraction.

"Wow," breathes Ness. "Look how high up it goes."

"Tell me about it," whispers Luigi.

They're nice and dry sooner than Luigi prefers. He and Ness get in line and are transfixed by the car gently lifting up and then dropping all the way down. Luigi squeezes Ness's hand.

"You okay?" the boy asks.

"Yeah. I'm good."

Soon, they find themselves strapped to the ride, fingers around the safety bars, exchanging a look as they're lifted high into the air like an elevator. The fairgoers look like dots on the ground. Even the roller coaster they were on looks less menacing. They reach the tip top and slow to a stop. They hover there, waiting. Luigi squeezes his eyes shut and takes a breath. So does Ness.

Butterflies burst in their stomachs as they hurtle back to Earth. Luigi throws his head back and screams like never before.

The ride gives them some serious noodle legs, but they get back in line anyway. They make the drop again and again until Ness starts feeling queasy again. Then, they find a shady spot to rest, Luigi instinctively ordering a ginger ale from a food stand and waiting for it to go flat before offering it to Ness. The young psychic accepts with a grateful smile.

And hurls all over the asphalt.

"It's all right, Ness," Luigi murmurs as he rubs the small of Ness's back. "Just let it all out."

"Ugh," Ness manages to say. "I'm not doing that again."

Luigi smiles. "Hey, this only happens once a year."

Suddenly, Ness's eyes pop out of his head. "Hey—are those bumper cars?"

* * *

"Yes! Show me ya moves!" laughs Falcon as he maneuvers his bumper car round the track. He imagines himself at an F-Zero race and skillfully seeks out unsuspecting prey, bumping into this car and that car, pursuing any who dare to rear-end him. He drinks in the look of shock on faces as the unfortunate souls discover the identity of the person who bumped them. Douglas Jay Falcon, racer extraordinaire, on a bumper car? What an honor to be bumped by this man!

Falcon glances to his right and notices Ness and Luigi. "How you guys doing?" he asked.

Luigi shrugs. "Ness got sick."

"Feel better, okay, buddy?" Falcon calls to the teen.

"Okay!" chirps Ness.

Ness and Luigi head off, and Douglas focuses on bumping as many people as he can before the ride ends. As he exits, his cell phone buzzes. It's a text from Samus. She's arrived!

Douglas finds her waiting at the Main Gate, dressed in a spaghetti strap top, shorts and sneakers. Her hair is in a messy bun. She smiles as Falcon approaches her.

"I see you're enjoying yourself," she says.

"Yup," says Falcon, kissing her cheek.

He quickly buys them some cotton candy, and they stroll like lovebirds through the fairgrounds, eventually happening upon some sort of sci-fi bullseye game. Just knock over the target to win a prize!

Falcon and Sammy flip 1G each to the carnival barker and give it a shot. They fire different colored balls at the targets, which move occasionally. Some of the balls miss the target and harmlessly bounce off the walls. Others hit the edges or close to the middle. But never on the bullseye to knock them over. Three minutes later, time is up. The duo simply shrugs off the loss and start to walk away when Samus notices a young child crying because he didn't win the big fluffy unicorn. She can't bear to see this poor child upset, so she surrenders another G for another round. Only this time, she whips out her Plasma Beam and lands a direct hit on the bullseye, knocking it over and puncturing it in the process.

"Thank you, Miss Samus!" says the child, snuggling the big fluffy unicorn in his arms.

"Hmm," says Falcon, suddenly getting an idea. He, too, hands over another G and positions himself at the target.

"Hey, Sammy—watch this," he says.

Fire forms in his left fist as he gets into his stance, winds up, and—

"FALCOOOOOOOOOOOON PAAAAAAAAAAWNCH!"

His fists, enclosed by a falcon-shaped aura, plows through the bullseye—and through the stand supporting it, sending it crashing to the ground. The carnival barker gawks at the scene for a good while before giving Falcon his prize—a giant stuffed teddy bear.

"Yes!" crows Falcon as he surrenders the teddy bear to Samus.

Samus blushes. "Thanks, Douglas."

The teddy is tucked under her arm as she and Douglas ride into the Tunnel of Love. As soon as their boat passes into the darkness, the racer takes the bounty huntress's hands in his. "Has anyone ever told you how gorgeous you are?" he asks.

Samus rolls her eyes. "Oh, Douglas."

She leans forward, and they kiss passionately.

 **Please review!**


	3. Perfect Midsummer Night

**Perfect Midsummer Night**

By five in the afternoon, Luigi, Ness, Jiggs, Falcon and Samus sit at a table in the food court, sharing a heaping pile of curly fries covered in ketchup. Fair food is cheap and greasy, but never neat. Grease and ketchup stain fingers, mouths and faces. Falcon and Samus teasingly feed each other the ketchup-saturated curls of deep-fried goodness, pausing to lick their fingers clean or steal ketchup-y kisses. The other three work their way through the golden pile, their fingers exploring the tangle and peeling off piece after piece. When the starch gets too much, they quench their thirst with freshly squeezed lemonade and the bottled water they have with them. Now, Samus is on Falcon's lap, still flirtily feeding Douglas as he responds in kind, stroking her cheek and smearing it with ketchup. They laugh blissfully, with Jiggs, Ness and Luigi joining in at the adorable sight. Finally, Luigi breaks out the wet wipes to free hands and faces of the infernal stickiness. The mountain of fries has reduced to a small hill, but they simply can't eat any more.

"If Kirby was here, then he'd finish this for us," groans Jiggs.

As if on cue, a powerful wind suctions the remaining fries off the table and into the huge mouth of a certain pink fluffball.

"Poy!" he giggles.

"Thanks, Kirby!" says Ness.

"Poyo!"

"I hear K.K Slider's gonna perform," says Samus. "Wanna catch him on the Main Stage?"

Falcon beams. "Sammy, you read my mind!"

* * *

Before that, though, they tour a Smash art exhibition, an antiques exhibition and go to see some farm animals and ducks. By the time they reach the Main Stage, the sun has almost set.

"It's getting dark," muses Luigi. "Soon, they'll turn on the lights."

The five pay for their concert tickets and are seated near the middle, where the noise won't be too loud. The Main Stage is quickly filling; K.K. Slider is a popular performer. Falcon and Samus snag prime seats next to each other. Ness and Jiggs bounce lightly with excitement; seeing K.K. Slider has always been a treat. And Luigi simply smiles, thankful that he got to spend this wonderful day with his closest friends.

Once the sun has fully set, the Main Stage comes aglow, the first strains of music bringing it to life.

The emcee introduces K.K. Slider and his band, and soon, everyone is on their feet, cheering and dancing. K.K. starts off his set with a few fast-paced songs, and then calms his audience with some slow-dancing tunes and love ballads. Samus and Falcon dance cheek-to-cheek during this while Luigi holds Jiggs in his lap and sways to the slower music. Just as eyelids start to droop, K.K. kicks the tempo right back up, and the four friends join the rest of the audience in dancing like there's no tomorrow.

K.K. Slider's concert lasts about 90 minutes, and after that, he comes out for an encore performance with the Runaway Five as special guests! Streamers and confetti sprinkle into the stands to end the concert, getting in Sammy's blond hair and draping over the shoulders of everyone else. K.K. and his band take a bow, and they remain for a while to sign autographs.

By now, the entire Fair is lit up in neon, clashing with the stars in the sky. It seems surreal, like a fantasyland. Luigi's blue eyes travel over to the ginormous Ferris wheel, a Fair staple since the beginning of time. A smile graces his features as he drinks in the smiling faces of the people in the Ferris wheel cars, waving and taking selfies.

"Hey," he says, looking over at his companions, "what do you say to one last ride?"

They reach an unanimous agreement. Falcon and Samus occupy one car, while Jiggs, Ness and Luigi are in another. Quietly, they sit back and watch the spinning and flashing neon igniting the night, the winking taillights of exiting cars, the traffic lights and the twinkling stars. It has mercifully cooled off, a light breeze dispelling the summer heat.

"It's beautiful," breathes Ness.

"Indeed," smiles Luigi.

They turn as the night sky is further animated by a fireworks show. Bells, stars, smiley faces, insignia from different universes and the Smash symbol leap out at them in white, red, yellow, orange, light blue, pink and green. Framed by the display of lights, Samus and Douglas share another poignant kiss in their car as it climbs to the top of the Ferris wheel.

Luigi feels Ness's head as it droops tiredly against his shoulder, the youngster's eyes glazing over. Jiggs snuggles up against his other side, a mischievous spark in her big eyes as she takes stock of Luigi's own tiredness.

The man in green leans back against the car, eyes still on the exploding fireworks and the merry lights of this wonderful occasion. His mind on the little mishaps he shares here with his friends, from puking after roller coaster rides to messy fingers whilst tackling deep-fried fair food. And as Jigglypuff begins to sing her song, Luigi softly murmurs to himself:

"We're gonna do this next year."

 **Fin**

 **Kudos to the host and judges:**

 **ProdigyGaming**

 **Photoshop Flowey**

 **QueenTasha7**

 **And to SolarEnergy07, Junior BLD and Smash King24**

 **Good luck to everyone else in the contest!**


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